Safety razor



June 4 1935. A. w4 THlsTLETHwAlTE 2,003,872

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Feb. 9, 1955 Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i SAFETY RAZOR Arthur W. Thistlethwaite, Atchison, Kans. Application February 9, 1933, Serial No. 655,968

s claims.V (ci. sii-.12)

This invention relates to safety razors and more particularly tol means for locking the face plate ythereof against accidental rocking and turning movement after the cutting blade has been adjusted to give thevdesired shave.

Heretofore in the construction of safety razors and particularly safety razors of the Gillette type, considerable trouble has been experienced in preventing turning movement between the face plate and supporting handle and tilting or rocking of said face plate on the handle after the latter has been adjusted to give either a light or close shave and this turning or tilting movement of the face plate on the handle not only tends to change or vary the character of the shave for which the blade of the razor has been previously set but oftenV results in cutting or otherwise lacerating the face of the user.

The object of the present invention is to overcome these objectionable features and to provide a safety razor the construction of which is such that after the razor has been once adjusted to give the desired shave, accidental turning or tiltingof the f ace plate on the supporting handle and consequent injury to the face is positively prevented.

A' further object is to provide a .safety razor including a locking rod housed'within the sup" porting handle and operable from one end thereof to engage the usual threaded stud on the face plate whereby to securely hold said face platel in adjusted position.

A further object is to provide means whereby the locking rod may be adjusted longitudinally to accommodate different styles of razors or supporting handles of different lengths.

A further object is to provide a locking device which may be .readilyapplied'to practically all well known types of safety razors without necessitating any material change therein or may be built into the razor during the manufacture thereof.

A stillv further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andr efficiency.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification: v v Y Y Figure l is a perspective View of a safety razor constructed in accordance with the present invention showing the different elements thereof detached or separated.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of th razor with the parts assembled.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view of the upper end of the locking rod and the adjacent end of the threaded stud.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference indicated corre- 5 sponding parts in all the figures of the drawing. The improved device forming the subject matter of the present invention may be applied to any standard 'or well known type of safety razor and by way of illustration is shown in connection with a safety razor of the Gillette type, in which 5 designates the arcuate caporrface plate, 6 the guard, and 'I a cutting blade clamped between the face plate and guard in the usual manner.

The face plate 5 is provided with the usual centering lugs 8 which extendthrough corresponding openings in the razor blade .l and guardiand also with a centrally disposed ,dependingw threaded stud 9 for engagement with a correspondingly threaded tubular operating handle I0. The upper part of the handle l il is provided with a thickened portion II and said thickened portion is preferably threaded throughout its entire length, as indicated at I2. Disposed within the handle I!! is a longitudinally vadjustable locking rod I3v having its intermediate portion spaced from the inner wall of the handle and being preferably smooth, and its opposite ends threaded at I4 and I5, Disposed at the lower end of the handle `Il) is'v a nger p-iece or knob IG, the outer surface of which is preferably knurled or roughenedwto facilitate turning of the same, said knob being provided with a reduced neck I'I fitting within the adjacent end of the handle andconstituting a bearing for the locking rod. The lower end I5 of the locking rod is adjustably threaded in a socket It formed in the neck I'I and which extends an appreciable distance within the knob I6 so that by rotating therod I3 within the knob said rod may be adjusted longitudinally to accommodate supporting handles of different lengths. A nut 9 is preferably threaded on the endl I5 of the locking rod and bears against the flat upper surface 2i) of the neck I'Iy whereby after the rod Iii is adjusted, said rod may be securely held in adjusted position.

` The upper end of the locking rod I3 is preferably concave, as indicated', at 2 l, and fitted in the concave seat 2l is a correspondingly shaped strip of Babbitt metal or soft solder 22 against which 50 the adjacent convex end 23 of the stud 9 bears when the rod I3 is adjusted to lock the face plate against turning or tilting movement. 'I'his softA metal packing provided a cushion or seat and not only prevents undue wear on or injury to the parts 55 adapted for the Cooper type of razor.

but also causes the parts to fit true. If desired, however, the soft metal seat 22 may be dispensed with and the end 23 of the stud may iit directly on the concave seat 2| of the locking rod.

Under ordinary conditions, the upper end of the locking rod will be spaced from the lower end of the stud S so as to permit free rotation of the handle ID on the stud to effect proper adjustment of the cutting blade to give the desired shave; that is to say, either a close or light shave. After the adjustment has been eiected in this manner, the finger piece or knob I6 is rotated, which causes the concave end of the locking rod to bear against the adjacent end of the stud 9, thereby locking the head of the razor, including the face plate, guard and cutting blade, `against turning or rocking movement on the handle or turning movement of the handle With reference to the head. It will thus be seen that owing to the engagement of the locking rod with the stud 9, the face plate and its associated parts will be positively held against both turning and rocking movement so that the character of the cut of the razor blade will not be Varied after the razor has been once adjusted, and liability of cutting or otherwise lacerating the face of the user during thev shaving operation is positively prevented. By loosening the nut I9 and rotating the locking rod within the socket I8, said rod may be adjusted longitudinally to accommodate handles of different lengths, it being understood, of course, that the socket I8 will be of suflicient length to permit of; adjustment of the rod for this purpose.

The device shown in Figure 2 of the drawing is designed for-application to razors already in use and whenthe device is applied to razors during the-manufacture thereof, the locking nut I9 may be dispensed With.

In Figure 4.0i the drawing, there is illustrated aY modied form of the invention particularly In this form of the invention, the lower end of the handle is threaded at 24V and in place of thev smooth bearing neck I 1, exterior threads 25 are formed on the neck for engagement with the threads 24 so that by rotating lthe finger piece or knob 26, longitudinal movement of the locking rod 2'! may be effected to cause the upper end thereof to engage the threaded lug 28 and hold the head of the razor against accidental rotation relative to the supporting handle.

It will, of course, be understood that the handle may be of any desired length and shape and in certain types of razors in which the end of the threaded stud 9 is flat, the adjacent end of the locking rod I3 will be correspondingly flat instead of concave.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a comparatively simple and inexpensive device Which will positively lock the head of a safety razorand its associated parts against accidental turning and rocking movement when shaving and by means of which liability of cutting the face is reduced to a minimum.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A safety razor including a guard, a, coacting face plate for clamping a razor blade against the guard and provided with a depending threaded stud, the lower end of which is convex, a tubular handle threaded on said stud, a finger piece having a threaded socket opening through one end thereof, a longitudinally adjustable locking rod disposed Within the handle and having its upper end provided with a concave seat for engagement with the convex seat of the stud and its lower end threaded in the socket in the iinger piece and normally spaced from the end of said socket, said finger piece being adjustable longitudinally of the rod for varying the effective length of said rodv when the parts are assembled and being formed with a shoulder for engaging the end of the handle and limiting movement of the nger piece and rod into the handle, and a nut threaded on the rod Within the handle and engaging the adjacent end of the nger piece for holding the rod in different positions of longitudinal adjustment.

2. A safety razor including a guard, a coacting face plate for clamping a razor blade against the guard and provided with a depending threaded stud, a handle threaded on said stud, a finger piece having'a neck tting within the handle and constituting a bearing and having an annular shoulder about its outer end, said finger piece and neck being provided with a threaded socket opening through said neck, a longitudinally adjustable locking rod threaded in said socket and having its lower end normally spaced from the bottom of the socket and its upper end adapted to engage the stud, said finger piece being adjustable longitudinally of the rod for varying the eiective length thereof when the parts are assembled and thel shoulder abutting the end of the'handle, and a locking nut threaded on the rod Within the handle and bearing against the neck for holding the rod in diierent positions of adjustment. y

3. A'safety razor including a guard, a coacting face plate for clamping a razor blade against the guard and provided with a depending threaded stud, the lower end of which is convex, a tubular handle having a thickened portion at one end interiorly threaded and engaging the threads on the stud, a locking rod disposed within the handle and having its opposite ends threaded, the upper end of the rod engaging the threads on the thickened portion of the handle, and

having its terminal portion provided with a con.

cave seat, a Soft metal packing ttedv to said concave seat, a iin'ger piecehaving a threaded socket engaging the lower threaded end of the locking rod and adjustable longitudinally thereof to vary the effective length of the rod when the parts are assembled, said iinger piece being provided with a reduced neck fitting within the handle and constituting a bearing having a shoulder about its outer end to engage the end of the handle and limit movement of the neck and rod into the handle, and a locking nut threaded on the rod within the handle and adapted to engage the adjacent end of the neck at said bearing for holding the rod in adjusted position.

ARTHUR W. THISTLETHWAITE. 

